Reception DS will not meet EYFS goals. School not helping - what can I do?

[RaisinsNotGrapes]

I would really appreciate some help and advice from anyone who has experience of this, as a teacher or a parent.

DS attends a local primary school. I have just been asked to go into school to meet the Inclusion officer. She stated in no uncertain terms that DS will not meet EYFS goals in handwriting and a couple of behavioural areas (listening). He is in reception.

Has class teacher has had a quick word with me at pick up, perhaps 5 times throughout the year. She has said things like, DS refused to do handwriting today. Or DS did not listen today. I have been talking to DS about this a lot. I did not get the impression from his class teacher it was a severe problem. Nothing has been mentioned at the 2 parents evenings we have attended.

The inclusion officer told me there are incidents of DS not listening every single day. Why have they not made me aware of this before?

The inclusion officer also said DS will definitely not meet EYFS goals/targets. There is no time for him to turn things around because the reports are being written in 3 weeks. The school did not propose anything for helping or supporting him, or addressing the problems. They said if DS was unable to do the things being asked of him they would help, but as he is CHOOSING not to do the things asked of him, they will not help.

They repeatedly asked if he behaves like this at home.

I am completely confused. What should I be doing next in regards to getting the school to support these issues? I am working with DS every day at home and talking, explaining to him what is expected at school. But I am not there throughout the school day and clearly me supporting him at home with this is not enough.

Just because it is outstanding does not mean it's a good school as you are seeing. It's not good enough to place responsibility onto you, they should be provining strategies or ways ahead to help your ds.

I am guessing that perhaps they feel it is a behavioural issue which originates at home? I.e. they know he can do x,y,z (and have told you he is very bright) but is choosing not to do what is asked, refuses to listen and even being reprimanded (even by senior teachers) makes no difference, so they've decided to put the onus on to you to sort it. It sounds a bit like that is what they are implying.

As they do not feel he has SEN, I'd suggest some sort of behaviour diary?
I wonder whether he's bored- as in the work isn't stretching him anymore so he'd playing up?

My DS is also going to fail the EYFS targets with very similar observations - it's not that he can't, he won't. Disruptive for some activities because he refuses to listen. But model pupil for maths and science activity basically doesn't want to read and refuses to take part in phonics.

The key difference here is how the school reacted. After telling us in parent's evening we asked how we could move forward. Her response after we discussed what support he had already was he'll be ready in his own time, that it will come soon and we should see it as a failure on her part. We don't think this though. We strongly believe he's 5 and it clicks at different times for different kids.

I'm afraid Mr Gove the recent changes in targets and increase in box ticking in reception don't incentivise teachers to teach better it restricts teaching creatively to individual needs. I think my boy would have passed on the measures of a couple of years ago because there was more of an emphasis on child led activity and she would have been better able to teach him through his interests then.

I honestly don't think you should worry.

It sounds like they have reacted to something said to them by the Local Authority.

There are 17 EYFS areas in total. It sounds like he might be below expectation in possibly 2 or 3 of those: Physical Development (Moving and handling), which is concerned with gross and fine motor skills, Communication and Language (Listening) and possibly one part of Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

The reason these 2 or 3 areas matter to schools is that they are areas which are measured in the "Good Level of Development". The number of children reaching this Good Level of Development is reported to the Local Authority.

I really, really wouldn't worry. Just nod and smile and address it with the new classteacher next year.

His school has recently dropped from outstanding to good. I'm more than happy for that to happen if they continue to support him as an individual growing at his own pace rather than put him off school for life by forcing something that hasn't clicked yet.

just because a school is outstanding, doesn't mean every child is going to be exceeding expectations. Also the EYFS is completely different than key stage 1 and 2. It might just be that the reception teacher has no real concerns, but is under pressure from senior management who don't understand that the curriculum is not designed for children to be sitting attentively at desks. As I say, you need to look at his profile to get a real understanding of where the problems may or may not lie.

He seems bored. I did virtually the same thing at the same age. Teachers had me pegged as the stupid one. I wasn't it just bored me so I chose not to listen, join in or do more than the bare minimum. It took till my third year for a teacher to twig what was up. As a result I didn't learn to read till I was nearly 7.

It took an engaged teacher who took the time to work out what would get me interested enough to get through the boring bits and parents that didn't give up on me. They should have been doing more and should have raised these issues at parents evenings. Good luck!

If he is bored because he is bright, what can I realistically ask the school to do? Does anyone have any experience on this?

Schools are well able to cater to bright children. "bored because they are bright" is a bit of a myth. Some children are bored by academic work, ( and some adults!) but paying attention, listening, and trying, in other words, engaging, is less boring than just not engaging. Poor behaviour make boredom worse, and using the phrase "bored because they are bright" just colludes with this.

From what you say (about being taken from enjoyable activity to do writing!) Points possibly to a transitioning issue. Maybe he just needs better warning/preparation/planning on their part.
Anyway, its up to the school to observe and put support in place.

It sounds very similar to the situation we had last year when DS was in Yr1. No mention of any problems at the first parents evening, then out of the blue we were called in to see both the class teacher and the Head and told that he was "repeatedly disruptive" - calling out when sitting on the mat, not listening, refusing to do some tasks (usually handwriting related), tantrums when pushed.

Friends in primary education told me that his behaviour was not unusual (summer birthday so was not yet 5 and a half) and that teacher ought to have strategies of her own, rather than expecting us to provide them. We had a daily report book in which she gave me a couple of sentences about how he'd done that day etc and we discussed them at home. But I do think she was inexperienced and had his card marked from that point onwards, as she accused him of whistling in assembly and he couldn't whistle - he said "she always says its me". It got to the point that I offered to go and sit in the classroom, but was told there was "no need", yet she offered nothing constructive as an alternative.

We felt we were doing all we could with a bright, yet immature child and eventually went back to the Head and complained. DS was supposed to be in her class for Yr2 as well but he was moved and has thrived with a different, far more experienced teacher.

I realise that I haven't given you a fail safe solution, but I do think you have to push for the school to provide strategies - they are the experts. Make them realise that you are on their side but that you need their guidance. He is a 5yo boy - lack of attention skills is not a unique problem. And when all else fails, there are only 7 weeks left to go with that teacher. Good luck, it's horrible and very stressful.

Thank you Englishmummy. Our experiences sound very similar. I have the feeling the school are not very forthcoming/active in communicating with parents. I will try to have regular meetings with his class teacher in Y1.

My huge fear is that DS also has his card marked.